- Responding to complaints that taking the train takes longer than braving traffic on the 110, Metro has announced plans to implement a modified express service on the Gold Line. During weekday peak-hour periods, trains will be limited to stops at 5 of the line's 13 stations. Metro claims the move will shave 5 minutes off of Pasadena-Downtown commutes.

- Looking for the perfect gift for the transit geek in your life? Metro's online store is now offering a wide of variety of transit-related gewgaws and gimcracks that would bring a smile to the face of even the most jaded Transit Coalition activist. My favorite? The commuter mug which, while stylish and ergonomic, is verboten on Metro busses and trains. It's great for the car, though!

- The schedule for February's Community-Based Transit Service Sector Governance Council meetings has been announced. On the agenda: receiving community input on bus service improvements. Also: coming up with a catchier acronym than CBTSSGC.

- Just wondering... has the traffic officer at busy intersections program gone away? Haven't seen any instances of this in quite some time.

Ditto to the officer at Los Feliz & Griffith Park. But IF there should be a traffic foul-up (like people stuck in the intersection after the signal has turned red), they would presumably do something to fix the problem.

Or maybe the office helps keep traffic flowing, and prevents such foul-ups.